When it's discovered that the Rising Tide has hacked a S.H.I.E.L.D. index — which lists all people or objects with powers — the team must track down an organization that has kidnapped a man on the list who can control fire.

Skye (Chloe Bennet) becomes Suspect No. 1, but she sets out to prove her innocence by reverse tracking the hack. However, she does it so she can warn the hacker Miles (Austin Nichols), with whom she has a, ahem, sexual relationship. Of course, you can't outwit a team of spies! Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) is waiting outside to hand over her clothes, effectively busting Skye as a traitor. The hacktivist attempts to explain that she was trying to pump Miles for information, but the team isn't quick to believe her.

As the bus heads for Hong Kong, Miles reveals enough information for the team to figure out that Centipede is actually behind the kidnapping. The mysterious organization, which appeared in the series premiere, wants to exploit the man's pyro power to stable the Extremis element of the serum. But Skye is more disheartened that Miles, whom she thought believed in freedom of information, actually sold the files to Centipede for nearly $1 million.

But Skye isn't quite the traitor she appeared to be. When Coulson (Clark Gregg) gives her an ultimatum to reveal her motivations or leave the team, Skye hands over the chip she's been holding onto that includes all the information she has on herself. She joined the Rising Tide to try to find information on her parents, but her search led to a file redacted by S.H.I.E.L.D., which is why she infiltrated the team. Coulson let's her stick around and offers to help her, but she's on probation.